The license for the tennis tournament at Rothenbaum in Hamburg will most likely change from Michael Stich to the Austrian Peter-Michael Reichel in 2019.
The Federal Committee of the German Tennis Federation (DTB) followed a recommendation of the Presidium.Stich has been the organizer of the German Open since 2009.
“At the meeting of the Presidium last Wednesday in Frankfurt, it was decided unanimously that the DTB would negotiate a contract with Peter-Michael Reichel with immediate effect,”said an official announcement by the DTB on Saturday afternoon.In addition to Reichel, Stich and Dietloff von Arnim, the long-standing tournament director of the World Team Cup in the Düsseldorf Rochusclub, had also applied for the license.
Ultimately, the decision was made to opt for the offer “which guarantees the DTB the best overall package after evaluating all criteria”, said DTB President Ulrich Klaus:”Mr. Reichel’s offer promises the association not only significantly improved conditions compared to the current situation, but also interesting and forward-looking options for the tournament landscape in Germany”.
Initially, the question of the location of the event remains unanswered.The city of Hamburg had to “move” and make a decisive contribution to a completely intact facility for the organization of the tournament,”said Klaus.A renovation of the roof structure above the stadium is essential:”If extensive support for the city is not ensured, we must also be open to alternative locations.
Reichel had signalled flexibility to the DTB on the question of location.The 64-year-old had launched the WTA tournament in Linz (Austria) 27 years ago and holds the license for the WTA tournament for the Nürnberger Versicherungscup, in which his daughter Sandra is tournament director.